Fish-screen.



1.0.KAFADER.

FISH SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED AU.2.19l7\ 1 g%g Patented Jan. 22, 1918. 21W N A TTOR/VEVS JAMES OLIVER KAFADER, OF FORT BIDWELL, CALIFORNIA.

FISH-SCREEN.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22;, 1918.

Application filed August 2,1917. Serial No. 184,112.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus Onrvnn Karannn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fort Bidwell, in the county of Modoc and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Fish-Screen, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to fish screens and more particularly to screens required under the law to be employed in connection with irrigating ditches leading from streams, whereby to protect the fish'by preventing them from enterin the ditch. Obviously a p 'actical, inexpensive and simple device for the purpose is a desideratum, and my invention is intended to meet these requirements and to be free from the objection attending many screens -which are usually.

rather-expensive and require a great deal of attention, especially those devices requiring oiling and cleaning at intervals. The purpose of the invention is attained by a screen mounted at its approximate center in a supporting structure adapted to con stitute a flumc at the entrance of the irrigating ditch, and having associated therewith latch means adapted to hold the screen upright subject to a predetermined pressure on the face thereof below the center, due to any accumulation of floating leaves, trash, and the like. whereby the latch means will be released to permit the screen to have a turning movement to automatically clear itself of the accumulated matter. Associated with the screen are paddles extending from the opposite faces thereof at approximately right angles to be quickly disposed about horizontally when the screen is in the upright operative position, the arrangement being such that the forward paddle will be caused to tip into the Water and be subject to the current for completing the turning movement of the screen to an upright position to be again automatically engaged by the latch means.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in both the views, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fish screen embodying my invention, showing the same in position for use;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a box 10 is provided having sides and a bottom. and is positioned at the entrance of an irrigating ditch B leading from a stream A. At the rear end a strip 11 is fastened to the sides at the top to constitute a girth or tie I while at the front, uprights 12 are n'ovided on the sides of the box having a cross bar 13 at the top constituting an arch permit ting the turning of the screen designated generally by the numeral 14.

The screen is journaled at its sides in the box 10 and in the preferred construction a hub 15 is provided which may be made from a length of gas pipe and having bars extending theretln'ough and projecting at the opposite sides of the hub.

The hub 15 is fixed to ashaft 17 and. in order to yieldingly hold. the screen in the upright position, latch means are associated with onc'end of the shaft. The latch means comprise a plate or disk 16 formed with a cam edge, there being depressions 19 at diametrically opposite points in the edges thereof. The disk turns in a keeper bracket or strap 18 in which the outer end of the shaft 17 is received. Coacting with the latch disk 16-is a spring latch. 21 which, in the preferred form, consists of a resilient rod or wire, the free end 20 of which is bent laterally to engage in a notch 19.

To vary the tension of the latch means according to the current in the ditch, a separate spring 23 exerts pressure on the latch rod 21, said spring having one end 21 in hooked form in engagement with the said rod, while intermediate the ends of the spring 28 the latter is bent into a coil 25 about a sheave or block 26 secured by a pin 27 to a side of the box 10. The longer arm of the spring 23 is adjustably secured to a bracket 28 fastened on the box 10, said bracket having a toothed flange 29 so that the end of the spring arm may be raised or lowered for varying the tension of the rod 21.

By the described arrangement the screen 14: Will be held in upright position and so long as there is sufficient clearance there screen has been given the half turn.

through for the water to flow freely, the screen Will remain stationary, but upon the accumulation of leaves and other floating matter. against the front of the screen to a degree to seriously clog the same, the excess pressure exerted against the rods below the hub 15 will overcome the tension of the described latch means, thereby permitting the screen with its latch disk 16 to turn so that the leaves,-etc., will Wash from the screen bars.

In order to give the screen a complete half turn after being cleared, I provide on the screen at the opposite faces thereof, paddles 30 projecting at approximately right angles to the screen bars so as to lie in a horizontal position When the screen is upright. The initial turning of the screen due tothe pressure of accumulated matter will bring the forward paddle 30 into the current and act to complete the turning movement of the screen permitting the latch rod 21 to engage the-latch disk 16 after tlie will thus be seen that the screen is entirely automatic in clearing itself and requires no attention after being installed.

In order to deflect logs or like floating matter away from the entrance of the box 10, the latter is provided with a guard 31 consisting of curved guard fingers extending from a bar or strip 32 which may be secured to either side of the box at the front end, the box being provided with bolt holes to receive the securing bolts 33.

I wish .to state in conclusion that although the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a device of the class described, a screen, a support in which the screen is journaled to turn on a horizintal axis, paddles on the screen at about right angles thereto, and latch means to hold the screen upright with the paddles approxin'iately horizontal, said latch means including a disk fixed on a journal of the screen to partake of the movements thereof, said disk having diametrically opposite depressions, and a spring-pressed latch bearing against said spring and yieldable by a turning movement thereof, said depressions being adapted to receive the bearing portion of said spring latch and being so located relatively to the spring and paddles for one of the depressions to be positioned for receiving the latch when the screen is upright and the paddles horizontal.

2. In a device of the class described, a screen, a support in which the screen is journaled to turn on a horizontal axis, paddles on .the screen at about right angles thereto, and latch means to hold the screen upright with the paddles approximately horizontal, said latch means including a disk fixed on the journal of the screen to partake of the movements thereof, said disk having diametrically opposite depressions, a resilient latch rod bearing against and having an end adapted to engage in a depression of the disk and yieldable to a turning movement of the latter, a spring secured between its ends to the said support, one end of the spring engaging said latch rod, and an element fixed on the support and having a series of teeth with either of which the other arm of the spring is engageable.

JAMES OLIVER KAFADER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

